Konattu Madam Chidambara Iyer Subrahmania Iyer, known better as K. C. S. Mani (2 March 1922 - 20 September 1987), was a

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

activist of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

who is known for his attempt of assassination on C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer, the then Diwan of

Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...

, a

princely state A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...

in India.The Hindu 27-2-2008.
/ref>Yentha.com Interview Of The Week: Swathanthra Bharath Ki Jai, Interview with K. E. Mammen
/ref> This incident was a turning point in the history of Kerala, forcing the Diwan to leave Travancore and flee to

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

after assenting to merge Travancore with the Union of India.

Historical background

In July 1947, preparation were in progress in India for the transfer of power from the British colonial rule. All

s in India were given a choice to either remain independent, or join either of the states of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer, an efficient ruler, but showing signs of dictatorship, wanted to have

in his clutches. He chose to make

a sovereign state, with full executive powers vested on the Diwan. He declared this intention in his ''American model constitution''. There were oppositions from all quarters. The Diwan chose to suppress the revolts with raw power. On 18 July 1947,

Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma , popularly known as Sree Chithira Thirunal, was the last ruling Maharaja of the Princely State of Travancore, in southern India until 1949 and later the Titular Maharajah of Travancore ...

, the Maharaja of Travancore, on advise of the Diwan, made the declaration that, Travancore will announce sovereignty on the 26 August.Communism in Kerala: A study of political adaptation, by Thomas J Nossiter, Royal Institute of International Affairs, Page 92
/ref>

Assassination attempt

On 25 July 1947, then 25-year old Mani attacked the Diwan in front of the erstwhile Music Academy (now the

Swathi Thirunal College of Music Swathi Thirunal College of Music is a music college in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It was founded in 1939. It was first named as "The Music Academy". The name was renamed as Swathi Thirunal College of Music in 1962. The founder of this ...

) in

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

, following a concert in the evening. Ramaswamy Iyer was wounded. Following the incident on 25 July, the Maharaja informed the

Viceroy of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...

of the decision to join the Union of India. On 19 August 1947, C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer formally resigned as Diwan.

Later life

After the independence, Mani served as a member of the local

panchayat The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical ment ...

for more than a decade.workersforum.blogspot.com കെ. സി. എസ്. മണി - വിപ്ളവകാരികളിലെ ഒറ്റയാന്‍
/ref> He also contested to the

Kerala Legislative Assembly The Kerala Legislative Assembly, popularly known as the Kerala Niyamasabha, is the State Assembly of Kerala, one of the 28 states in India. The Assembly is formed by 140 elected representatives. Each elected member represents one of the 140 c ...

from the

Kuttanad Kuttanad ( ml, കുട്ടനാട്‌) is a region covering the Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta Districts, in the state of Kerala, India, well known for its vast paddy fields and geographical peculiarities. The region has the lo ...

constituency in 1965, as an independent candidate (not the nominee of any political party, But RSP leaders have instructed him to submit the nomination, So he can be considered as an RSP Candidate), but without success.Geocities.ws (Geocities Archive), KeralaForum, 1965 Kerala Election Results
/ref> Mani felt alienated by the

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...

as well as the state in the later years of his life. He spent his last days abandoned and struggling with diseases. When he suffered from loneliness, he found a solace in devotion. It is also said that the feeling of guilt affected him deeply. During some nights, after Ambalapuzha temple was closed, he conducted 'sayana pradakshinam' around the temple. Sometimes, he went to

Sabarimala The Sabarimala Temple (; ml, ശബരിമല ക്ഷേത്രം) is a temple complex located at Sabarimala hill inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Perinad Village, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, India. It is one of the largest ...

without informing anyone. Mani died on September 20, 1987, at an age of 65, in the Chest Diseases Hospital,

Pulayanarkotta Pulayanarkotta is a locality in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The Southern Air Command is based at Pulayarnarkotta. Meaning of the name Pulayanarkotta literally means the fort of the Pulaya's King. History The ''Pulayanarkotta'' region ...

. He was cremated in his home premises on the next day. His brother-in-law conducted the rituals. The place where he was cremated is now part of railway line. His wife Lalitha outlived him for 30 years, dying on June 14, 2017, aged 77.

Cultural depictions

* T. Sivasubramania Iyer, played by

Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeare ...

Rakthasakshikal Sindabad ''Rakthasaakshikal Sindabad'' (English: Long live the martyrs) is a 1998 Indian Malayalam-language historical political thriller movie directed by Venu Nagavalli, featuring Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Sukanya in the lead roles. The revolt scene ...

(1998).

Historical background

Assassination attempt

Later life

Cultural depictions

References

Further reading